Saving My Savior
by Flippzy The Edward Slayer
Summary: It's been Nine Years since Ib left the horrific gallery, but she still has nightmares about it. What will happen when she, her sister, and a fellow classmate are sucked back into Guertena's world? And what about Mary and Garry? Based on the "Forgotten Portrait" ending. IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE!
1. Chapter 1: Memories?

**AN: Hey guys, it's Flippzy once more, taking a new turn, to see if I still have what it takes, you know? So, I've recently fallen in love with the new video game, Ib. It's so much fun to play, and I gotta say it, GARRY IS FRICKEN AWESOME! (Skittles are still my one true love, but that's what Fanfiction is for. God bless you, Fanfiction!) Also, I'm sorry for not updating any of my other fanfics in a while. Nobody just seems to be interested in what I write. So I've decided to just write for the sake of writing, and if somebody likes it, then it makes it all the more worthwhile. Anyway, let's get this started!**

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Ib. If I DID, well…let's just say that Ib would be older, and there would be some romance scenes! :3**

**Saving My Savior**

**Chapter 1: Memories?**

_He tried to catch up to her, but each step just became more painful than the last. Even though he didn't want to accept it, he knew that he wasn't going to make it. He was going to die, stuck in this freak show of a gallery, and would probably die alone. He couldn't have her stay down here forever, waiting for her own inevitable doom. He had to make sure that at least she would make it. SHE would defeat that psycho-child, and make it back home, safe and sound._

_He was falling behind, now. The pain and fatigue had finally caught up with him, and were clenching on to his conscience. He stopped, even as She kept going. He had to stop, now._

"_Ib…wait…" he murmured._

_The little girl stopped and turned to her friend. Red eyes widening as she watched him slowly fall to his knees._

"_I don't want to lie to you….but I don't want to tell you the truth, either."_

"_If you need me…I'll come running…."_

_She saw him fall completely. This time, his eyes stayed closed, as if he were asleep. He IS asleep, she told herself. She refused to think him anything else. He simply could NOT die. Not when he had promised so much to her. What about the Macaroons that he wanted her to try, or his assurance that they'd BOTH make it out? He couldn't do that to her, he just couldn't!_

"_Loves me…Loves me not…."_

_She could hear that high pitched, happy voice chanting the words over and over like a mantra. A mantra that would end his life…end…Garry's life…she turned, and saw that he was no longer there, and that the ripping sound was getting louder. This time, red petals blended with the blue, and wounds began to appear all over Ib's body. Behind her, the bubbly laugh had turned into a mocking cackle, and when Ib turned around, all she could see were big, blue eyes._

"_We'll be together forever, Ib!"_

She gasped as her head shot up from the bed. She looked around the room twice, before she took a deep sigh of relief. This nightmare had haunted her dreams for the past nine years. In fact, they'd started right after coming home from that museum. She clutched tightly to the doll in her hand. It was very special to Ib, because she had made it, and what's more, she made it to look like a person in a painting. The painting from the Guertena exhibit, _The Forgotten Portrait._

Though she loved the picture dearly, she couldn't help but think that it was somehow connected to those dreams. Not only did the boy in the painting show up in her dreams, he was right beside her, helping her, being there for her. When she woke up, he was still there, if only in a small doll form, in her arms to comfort her from her dreams.

"SISSY!"

Ib lifted her head at the sound of the voice. It was coming from outside her door, followed by a loud knocking sound. Ib looked over at her alarm clock: 3:07 am. _So she's had another nightmare…like sister like sister…or however that stupid saying goes,_ she thought as she got up from her bed and walked over to the door to let the person behind her door inside.

There, before her, was a little girl, no older than 9, big brown eyes like their father's, and her shoulder-length brown hair separated into pigtails for the night. Her look was complete with a bright, pink flannel nightgown that Ib had made for her. Though Ib had never liked the color as a child, her sister certainly did.

"What's wrong, Trina?" she asked softly, kneeling down until the sisters were eye level with eachother.

"The scary girl with the yellow hair…she's gonna get me!" Trina whimpered.

Ib sighed, ever regretting her sister over hearing her nightmares, and making them her own. It didn't help that Ib drew whatever she dreamt about. Her therapist had told her that it could help her with her dreams. She's been doing this for 9 years, now, and though her drawing and painting have improved drastically, they only made her nightmares worse.

One involved her painting her version of Garry, and every time she tried to finish it, her hand would add cuts and large amounts of blood, petals strewn along the ground. Whenever she had that dream, she'd wake up and cry.

But the ones that scared her the most were of…that girl.

_Mary._

Mary was one of Guertena's works. The problem was, that 9 years ago, the painting was lost forever. Something about a tragic fire accident. Ib felt partially responsible, at least, she did in her dreams, because in her dreams, _she _was the one to set Mary on fire. That horrible, wretched child who'd killed Garry. At least, she killed dream Garry.

But sometimes, Ib couldn't help but think this was all real. None of these dreams pertained to her real life, as her therapist suggested. And lately, the dreams had become more vivid, as if they had been memories instead.

"Ib?" a shaky voice called to her to bring her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present, and smiled at Trina. "Don't worry, Trina. I won't let Scary Mary hurt you," she said in a soft, tired voice. Ib wrapped her arms around her little sister and then guided her over to the bed. "You can sleep in my bed, that way, you won't have any nightmares." She made sure that Trina was tucked in before closing the door. Before she could turn off the light, Trina whimpered again.

"Nooo…can…we leave the night light on?"

Ib sighed. She really couldn't sleep with light in her room, but she knew that Trina had to come first. "Alright, I'll keep it on, until I know you're asleep, okay?"

Trina beamed. "OKAY!" she shouted. Ib hushed her so as not to wake their parents.

Within minutes, the little girl was asleep, with Garry clutched at her side. Ib couldn't help but smile at the scene before her as she got up and went to turn off the light. When she got back into bed, she wrapped her arms around Trina and "Garry." Together, sleeping peacefully.

But they were not alone.

A shadow crept from Ib's closet, that couldn't be seen by the human eye. _"We'll be together, soon, Ib. And look, a new playmate! It'll just be us three…forever…"_ And then the shadow was gone, as if it were never there…

**End of Chapter 1**

**AN: Okay, so here's the first chapter. I decided to base it off the "Forgotten Portrait" ending…it was the first one I got. : (. I eventually got the best ending, but really…it took SO long and so much to do to get it right. One slip up, and you get the bad endings. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and hopefully someone will enjoy it! : ) Till next time!**


	2. Chapter 2: Ib's Bane

**AN: Wow! I didn't think it would start getting reviews so quickly! Even "I Me Mine" took a few days to get even ONE reviewer. Thanks, guys, I really feel loved now! I'll try to update as much as possible, but I must say that I'll be starting college VERY soon! Like, I'll be leaving next WEEK! But don't worry, I plan to have time for this! So! On with the show!**

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Ib. If I DID, well…let's just say that Ib would be older, and there would be some romance scenes! :3**

**Saving My Savior**

**Chapter 2: Ib's Bane**

"_Ib, could you look into my coat pocket?"_

_The little girl reached into the oversized pocket and pulled out a piece of lemon candy. She looked up at him with curiosity. He only smiled and said, "you can have that, if you'd like." Ib mustered up a small smile for Garry and nodded, pocketing the little sweet as he got up and walked back to the book case. She held his coat close to her body and took a deep breath. It smelled of cigarette smoke, fresh roses, a baked pastry of some sort…and just…Garry. _

_Just as she was about to get up and give it back to him, she felt something pull her back down to the ground. Suddenly, she stopped breathing, and she couldn't move anymore. Try as she might, she just couldn't._

_Garry must have noticed, for he started calling out her name. Or, at least, she THOUGHT he was. She couldn't tell with another voice in her head saying, over and over again, "together forever, together forever, toooogettthherrr fooorrreeevvverrrrr…"_

_Ib began to panic. How could she get out of this? She began to talk aloud. Hopefully it would help!_

"_Leave me alone, you're not real._

_Leave me alone, you're not real._

_Leave me alone, YOU'RE NOT REAL!"_

**SLAM!**

Ib's head popped off the table at the sound of the text book landing in front of her. "Well, thank you for joining us, Ib. Did you have a lovely siesta during my lecture?"

Mr. Castle* was looming over her with a quirked eyebrow, and a frustrated look on his face. Though he was famous for sarcasm, Mr. Castle never raised his voice to his students. Other methods were accessible, and gave more results than yelling.

Still, Ib hated to disappoint her favorite teacher. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't sleep very well last night, and well…I couldn't help it. It also doesn't help that I already know too much about Guertena."

"You don't say. Well, Ms. Blomme,** could you kindly tell us what THIS piece, by Guertena was about?" He pushed a button on the remote to his over head to show a picture of a large mural full of different colors and designs.

"It's called the _Fabricated World_, sir, and yes, I can. The piece is about how we take reality for granted, and that not everything is as it seems. Once you step into another world, everything changes and you find yourself trying to get back; and once you return, all that you had learned in that other world is forgotten, a whisper of a memory."***

Mr. Castle nodded. "I guess you DO know a thing or two about Guertena." He turned around and continued with the lecture.

Ib smiled at herself, happy that she knew something before having to learn about it. Although she couldn't say that Guertena was her FAVORITE artist, she did feel a strange connection to him. She couldn't explain it, but it probably had something to do with _The Forgotten Portrait_ and _Mary_.

"It's a good thing you know what you're talking about. Otherwise, I'd be BEGGING Mr. Castle for a different partner."

Ib groaned at the voice whispering to her. Gavin Rush was the bane of her existence, and her study partner. Any major projects or essays that had to involve a partner, she had to do with him, and it was NEVER fun. Sure, they got the work done, and yes, it was true that Gavin was just as good an artist as she, but he ALWAYS made it a point to rub it in her face, or just put her down. If it wasn't for the fact that he was the only other person besides her family and teachers that talked to her, she wouldn't have ever given him the time of day. She turned to glare into his stormy gray eyes.

"Well, there's the teacher, why not tell him so, and leave me the hell alone!" she whispered back.

"What, and ruin my day? Don't think so, and besides, I wanted to know what exactly wasn't real, and why it should leave you alone, Ibby."

Ib cringed, not only from the pet name, but also because she'd apparently been talking in her sleep. As long as she could remember, she'd never talked in her sleep, so why did she do so, now? She looked away.

"…."

Gavin frowned, a little unnerved by her sudden reaction. "What, are you suddenly so important that you don't have to answer a simple question, Ibby?"

"Just…leave me alone, Gavin," she finally mumbled under her breath, her eye fixed to the pages of her text book.

What? No clever come back? No "Gavin, you're a stupid jerk-face," or "I don't talk to morons" speeches? Something was off about her today, and frankly, when she got like this, she was just…BORING! He couldn't get anything out of her! Sure, that would seem like a challenge, if she'd only gotten a LITTLE flustered. But no, she just gave a "Leave me alone, Gavin" and kept to herself. Where was the fun in that?

Still, he couldn't help wondering what exactly she had been talking about, and why it'd scared her so. _Ah well,_ he thought _I'll weasel it out of her eventually and use it for future blackmail._ With that thought, he turned to his own work and began to write down the names of pieces and the dates they were made onto his text book.

Suddenly, Mr. Castle spoke up in the dimly lit classroom. "Before I forget, I'd like to inform you all, of the Guertena exhibit that will be coming to town this Friday. I've made reservations so that you can visit the gallery. While you're there, I would like you and your partners to find one piece that you both agree that truly speaks to you. Step into the world of Guertena and see what you can find! And since I am such a nice teacher, I'm giving you until the Tuesday after next to finish your essays!"

When he got no reply, as he often did, he said, "Thanks, Mr. Castle! You're the best!"

The class started laughing as he dismissed them from the lecture.

Most of the class, including Gavin, were pretty excited about the exhibit, as most art majors would be.

Ib, for her part, had mixed feelings about going. On the one hand, she was excited to see some of the pieces that she loved the most, but on the other hand, she couldn't help feeling a sense of foreboding in going. Ib shook her head again. Like her therapist had told her, the dreams were only dreams, and she shouldn't let them take over her reality. She clenched her fists and put on a determined face before walking out the door.

Still, a small niggling part of her brain kept telling her to be careful, and to stay close to her partner, even if it WAS Gavin.

**End of Chapter 2**

**AN: Well, looks like I'm on a roll at the moment. Parts of this chapter actually pertain to my life, like the whole part of not being able to move in a dream, or breathe, and I find myself talking over and over until I finally wake up, as if I were possessed or something. Also, I'd like to divert your attention to the asterisks that I'd put up:**

***Mr. Castle is an actual person, and was my favorite art teacher since leaving high school. He was the one to tell me to look at an art piece from a different perspective, and is the reason why I love working with different colors. He also would say things like "Thanks, Mr. Castle, you're the best" when he'd give us news, and no one would answer (which was pretty much all the time. Didn't help that I was one of the few who asked questions or raised their hands.)**

****Blomme is actually pronounced as "Bloom," but I didn't want to actually put the word on there, because it sounded too…well..cliche. Also, Blomme is a real last name (I should know, I knew a kid with the name.)**

**And finally: ***I kinda made up some of that stuff on the spot, but some of the phrasing was from the game. It's a little from my point of view of the piece..or from what I could see of it.**

**Anyway, sorry for the really long Author's Note, and I hope to see you guys soon! Till next time!**


	3. Chapter 3: Down the Rabbit Hole Again

**AN: Okay, I just wanted to clarify that I **_**totally**_** stand behind Ibcon shipping, and that Garry DOES have a very special role in this. I just really didn't feel like putting IbxGarry on the summary page until later. It was going to be a surprise…D: Oh well, I guess I will put it up here. Yes, this is going to be a GarryxIb shipping, it's just gonna be with a twist, and probably will take a little bit. I love romance fics, but I also like drawing them out. I Me Mine's a VERY bad example of that, but I'm trying for something new. ;) Don't worry, we'll get there together! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Ib. If I DID, well…let's just say that Ib would be older, and there would be some romance scenes! :3**

**Saving My Savior**

**Chapter 2: Down the Rabbit Hole, Again!**

"_Ib, have you ever heard of Macaroons?" Garry asked as they stood under the fake sunlight. Ib shook her head, and he continued. "Well, they're these yummy pastries that look like hamburgers. And the cream is so tasty, and not too sweet. If we get out of here, I would like to…no, we WILL be getting out of here! That's a promise!" He smiled sweetly, and then a frown replaced the smile before Ib could even blink._

"_I also want you to promise me something, Ib" he said in a low, serious voice. "If, for some reason you are the only one who can leave, please….please don't come back for me. Please don't come back to this godforsaken gallery. I'm not worth it." Just as Ib was about to protest that he was, in fact, VERY much worth it, she looked into his eyes and nodded. He gave her a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms around the small girl. "That's good…Also, before I forget!"_

_Ib looked up from within his arms. "Yes?"_

"_I just wanted to let you know that I am…"_

"WAKE UP, SISSY!"

Ib jolted awake at the sound of Trina's voice…again! So startled was she from the noise, that poor Garry was being hugged to death, and the poor doll's seams might have come off. She suddenly loosened her hold on the doll and turned to the pink and brown fluff ball that had entered her room and was in the process of jumping on her bed.

Ib laughed and picked Trina up in mid-jump. "Alright, Tiger, I'm up, so please stop jumping on me." She tickled her sister's sides, and Trina began to roar with laughter.

"S-Stop! Stop!" she screamed.

"You gonna stop jumping on my bed?" Ib replied with a mock evil cackle.

"Hahaha…NEVER!"

"Then no deal!" she growled playfully before attacking Trina's sides again. She only stopped her tickle attack when her mother opened the door and gave an amused scowl.

"Honestly, you two!" their mother said, in a bad imitation of scolding. The laughter in her eyes and voice gave away to any anger she might have had.

"Alright, okay, that's enough, loves. It's time for Ib to get ready for the Exhibition. Come on, Trina, let's have breakfast."

Trina groaned and then looked at Ib. "Why can't I go with you?"

"Because you have school today, Tiger" Ib said while poking her chest. Trina gave one last weak giggle and a pout before hopping off Ib's bed to join their mother for breakfast. Ib waited until her door was closed before she smiled softly and shook her head.

"She's much more energetic than I ever was at her age."

Then again, she mused as she got dressed, Ib had never really _acted_ like a child. None of the other children ever wanted to play with her, so she was usually seen with her parents. She'd try to get in on their conversations, as if she, herself were an adult. Although her parents were quite proud of her, she also never understood what it truly meant to be a child, or to have friends.

Until, that is, Trina came. A few months after leaving the gallery, her mother had given birth to little Trina. Ib was upset at first, mostly because she wouldn't have her parents to herself anymore, but as she got used to the baby being around, she grew to love her. She'd wormed her way into Ib's heart, and had become her best friend.

This was also when the nightmares began to get worse.

Yes, she'd had them before, and they were never fun, but after Trina was born and Ib had taken a liking to her, the dreams were just…worse. They always centered around that creepy girl with the blond hair. Then, the night before, after Mr. Castle's lecture, she'd had a dream about the blond girl once more, but this time, she wasn't alone.

_Ib walked into a strange little house, that looked like it had been made of crayon. It was a one story house, with only one room, a table set up for a tea party, and a poorly shaped tea kettle in the center. There was a grandfather clock in the corner that wasn't working. She took a look at the table and found that, though it was poorly drawn, it did look like fun._

"_I'm glad you think so, Ib." A shiver ran down Ib's spine at the cheery voice behind her. She recognized that voice._

_Mary! _

_Her bright blue eyes sparkling with happiness as she crooned, "and now, everyone's here! The tea party can begin!" She gave a cheer and turned to someone in shadow. "Now we'll have so much fun, right, Trina?" Ib turned around in horror. _

_There, sitting at the farthest chair, her eyes blank and soulless. Next to her was Garry, in a deadly sleep, but with a bright pink party hat on his head._

"_Okay, you're next, Ib!" and just like that, the hat went around her head like a noose…_

Ib shuddered. Never had she had a dream so vivid before. Then again, this last night's dream was just as unusual, but not as scary. In all of the dreams she'd had of Garry, not once had he sent a warning so strange, and so vivid. Also, what was he going to say before she woke up? She really wanted to know, now.

She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she'd heeded Garry's warning.

**At the Guertena Exhibit**

**(AN: sorry, but we gotta move this story along a little bit :P)**

"Alright, guys. Feel free to wander around the gallery, and make sure you're always with your partner. I don't care if you're going on the tour, or just the gift shop, just as long as you find a piece, and you stay with your partner! If you're goin' to leave early…"

Mr. Castle's speech was basically tuned out by the entirety of the class. Even Ib couldn't hold enough interest to listen to the rest of the spiel. Her partner, Gavin, had even wandered back outside, though he "promised" to come back.

Everyone in her class began to disperse and look for paintings, or just hang around the benches and the gift shop.

"I'm back!" a voice called from behind her, startling her to her feet from her previous sitting form.

Speak of the Devil, himself!

"Why did you DO that?" she seethed.

"Because I knew I'd get a reaction out of you. You always act so emotionless, and yet the slightest nudge or voice from behind scares you. Why?"

"It's none of your business…" she said as she stumbled on her words. To be honest, she didn't know, either.

Gavin frowned, realizing that he wasn't going to get anything out of her by just asking. In his arms, he carried a small bag of what looked to be pastries from the café down the street.

"So THAT'S where you went," she muttered as his hand dove into the bag. He pulled out a blue hamburger-shaped pastry that Ib could only guess was a macaroon.

"Yeah, I've been craving these things since yesterday. I figured that since we were goin' to be in the neighborhood anyway, it might be nice to get some macaroons. Ever had 'em?"

Ib shook her head. "I've never had them, but I've wanted to. I don't know why, but I've just wanted to for the longest time."

He looked at her as if she were crazy, and then casually held the bag to her face when he was positive that no one was around them. Ib hesitated and then glared at him. _He probably dropped one or poisoned the rest of them…_

"I didn't poison them if that's what you're thinking…" he said, as if speaking her mind. His gray eyes were full of mirth behind his black bangs. Well, MOSTLY black bangs. The very top of his head had a light blue tint to it, though he's never really explained why, except for the casual, "It makes me an individual, so what?"

Finally, Ib consented and reached over to grab one of the pastries when she heard another shrill voice call to her.

"IB!"

A sense of dread and relief filled her and mixed together within her as she turned around to see her little sister at the gallery.

Relief, because she no longer had to talk to Gavin; dread because she really didn't want her sister at the gallery. Something was wrong, very wrong.

"Wh-what are you doing here?"

"We're having a field trip today! Isn't it exciting, Ib?" she exclaimed, jumping up and down, barely able to contain her excitement of getting to be with her big sister again.

Ib turned her head towards the entrance. Sure enough, Trina's entire 3rd grade class walked into the building, teacher in tow. Ib sighed and then turned to Trina. "Well, why don't you go join your class?"

Trina frowned, feeling hurt at the possibility that her big sister didn't want her there. Ib saw the look, but before she could calm her sister down, another voice spoke up.

"What's wrong with her joining us? She's a big girl, let her make her own decisions for once. Besides, it'd probably help pass the time while we try to find a piece that 'speaks to us.'" Gavin winked at Trina and gave Ib (who was glaring daggers at him) a shrug. "Besides, it would be a shame to see anything else but a cute smile on that pretty face of yours," he said with another wink and warm smile.

"Really? It's okay?" Trina said, her voice wavering with happiness and nervousness. Her cheeks tinted pink from Gavin's speech.

Gavin gave her a charming smile and knelt down to her level. "Of course it is! I mean, the more the merrier, right, Ib?" He turned to Ib with the same smile on his face.

There was a pregnant pause in the air as Ib tried to decipher Gavin's facial features and tone of voice. She'd never heard him speak like that to any girl, especially herself. Why was he being so nice to her sister?

Then again, he HAD made her smile, and she did look like she wanted to come along. Ib sighed and finally relented. "Alright, but please, at least tell the teacher that you're with us?"

Trina jumped for joy as she ran back to her teacher, pausing mid-way to turn and say, "you really won't leave?" Gavin placed his hand over his heart and raised his other in a mock salute. "Scout's honor!" That was all the encouragement that Trina needed before bounding off again towards her teacher. Gavin kept smiling and stayed where he was, until Ib said something to wipe the silly grin off his face.

"I didn't know you were a scout."

Gavin froze, forgetting about his strange, yet annoying partner and sighed. "It's supposed to be a figure of speech. Basically, a promise that I won't be going anywhere." Ib didn't know whether to believe Gavin or not, but decided that he was being truthful enough. Still, if he tried to do something to Trina, she would show no mercy!

"Though, you know, I don't think we'll have to go far to find the piece we need." She turned around to see that he was facing a large mural, now. He still hadn't moved far off, and Trina would still be able to see them.

"You mean the _Fabricated World_? But I thought we discussed that one in class. Isn't that kind of…cheating?"

Gavin shrugged. "Just because we talked about it in class doesn't mean that we know the full story behind it. Besides, I'm guessing that it would either have been this, or the portrait you have a crush on."

Ib kept staring at the mural, though the growing redness on her cheeks spoke volumes. Gavin snickered, but decided to be nice and not say anything else about it. Ib, seeming to have realized that he wasn't going to say anything else on the matter, gave a slight, but grateful smile before turning back to the mural. "Alright, we'll take notes on it and read the inscription, but let's keep our eyes open, just in case." Gavin relented as they turned their attention to the writing next to the painting.

"_Once you go in, there's no going back. All your time here will be lost. Will you still jump in?"_

Though she'd read this passage several times before, she didn't really understand it, though she also found it rather…familiar.

"Your sister sure is taking her time getting here," Gavin mused as he turned his head away from the painting. He didn't say anymore, because what he saw made him speechless. All he could do was frantically tug on Ib's shoulder.

"What is it? Honestly, you have a voice, use…it…" her voice faltered when she turned her head and realized why he'd stopped talking.

The gallery was completely empty, save for her and Gavin.

Ib went into full panic mode. "We…we have to find Trina." Gavin only stood where he was, even as she began to leave. "GAVIN!" He finally turned his head and nodded to her dumbly before scrambling after her, the macaroons tucked away in his pocket.

They searched everywhere for Ib's little sister. There was no one around, so it couldn't have been TOO hard to spot her. They had just made their third passing of the large rose statue, _Embodiment of Spirit_, when Gavin called out, "look! There she is!" He was pointing towards the mural called _Abyss of the Deep_, the gate strangely opened.

Ib turned her head to see that Trina was indeed near the large mural, and made to call out to her, when Trina did something very…strange.

She smiled. But that's not what was so strange about her behavior. It was the way she was smiling, and how her eyes…her eyes no longer held the happiness and life that they'd shone through just a few hours prior.

"T-Trina?" Ib called in a hesitated voice, to which Trina only giggled, and then stepped into the _Abyss of the Deep_, until she had all but disappeared beneath it.

"NO!" Ib shouted, the dread that she'd felt earlier rising up from her stomach and growing at tenfold. She turned to Gavin. "We have to go after her!"

Gavin hesitated. He really didn't like the idea of following ANYTHING down that creeping painting, but one look into Ib's eyes, and he knew that he had no choice. He nodded, a new look of determination set on his face, though his heart and mind screamed for him to turn back. Something about this whole predicament seemed awfully…familiar. Ib's mind was set at the same level as Gavin's, though they would never know that.

"Alright…" he relented in a shaky voice. "Looks like we have no other choice." He slowly walked towards the opened gates, his courage weakening with each step, yet he soldiered on with Ib right beside him. They had a mission, and Ib wouldn't let them stop until they had Trina back home, safe and sound.

As they stepped into the deep abyss, her last thought rang out in her mind,

"_I promise, I'm coming for you…"_

**End of Chapter 3**

**AN: WOW! That was a loooonnng chapter (well for my standards, at least), but I had to put so much in on this chapter to move the plot along. That, and I really am on a roll and it's really late and this all probably looks like crap, but for now, I'm happy with it!**

**So, what happened to Trina? Why's Gavin acting nice all of a sudden, and who is he, really?**

**Find out next time! ;)**


	4. Chapter 4: Memories Crannies!

**AN: Well now, I do believe I left something out of the last chapter. As you can see, I'm using a different image for this story. This image was drawn by a Deviant known as *naochiko, who let me color it. This is that image, after I'd colored it. I wanted to give credit to her, and thank her for letting me color and use it for this story! Anyway, with that all cleared up, shall we continue?**

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Ib. If I DID, well…let's just say that Ib would be older, and there would be some romance scenes! :3**

**Saving My Savior**

**Chapter 4: Memories Crannies!**

The trail beneath the Abyss was long and narrow. Ib could barely see an inch in front of her. The only color in this place was the trail, which looked to be normal, velvet steps to an average passerby. Ib would have wanted to take more of this new discovery in, if she didn't have such a one-track mind at this moment. Perhaps she'd have even discovered just how familiar this whole scenario was. Perhaps she'd have gotten a moments peace, if Gavin wasn't acting the way he was now.

"It's okay, they're just stairs. They're not gonna hurt me or maul me in any way, shape, or form. It's all going to be alright, it's all going to be alright, it's all—"

"Am I going to have to listen to this non-stop drivel the entire journey, or could you kindly shut your word- hole for a few more minutes so I can come up with a plan to get my SISTER back!"

Gavin looked at her with a mixture of fear and distain. "Why're you being so cruel all of the sudden? All I wanted to do was get this project over with, but nooooo, some weird voodoo magic crap happens in the gallery, and you FORCE me to look for YOUR little sister, when all I want to do is go home!"

Ib glared back at Gavin and snapped, "well, no one is stopping you from leaving anymore. You tried helping me, so if you're too scared to come with, then the exit's the other way. Otherwise, quit your whining and help me!"

All she got in response was a huff and a very pouty Gavin folding his arms across his chest as he sauntered after her the rest of the way. He tried to hide it by saying, "and let you have all the fun? Yeah, right." That's what he'd said, but the real reason was simply, he felt like he _had_ to follow her. It was almost as if he were being _called…_

Still, that didn't stop him from being flat out terrified. He was actually concerned for Ib's sudden boost of confidence, as he'd previously thought she'd be just as scared as he was. But any fear that the red-eyed brunette had held had vanished from her being.

_Wow, she isn't fooling around. She knows what she wants, and she'll do anything to get her back. Maybe there's more to Ib than I'd previously thought. The girl's got some serious guts!_

Guts, it seemed, that he was sorely lacking.

After walking for what seemed like hours, but could have only been minutes at any rate, they finally found an opening. It was the bottom of the steps, and before them, was a bright, blue room with strange writing strewn across the wall. Gavin narrowed his eyes in concentration, trying to decipher the strange writing.

"C-O-M-E….come? It's just saying 'Come,' over and over again. It's almost like its pushing us forward," he said with finality in his voice.

"That's because it is," Ib replied softly.

Gavin was startled, having just remembered that Ib was with him. Or more like, he was with Ib. She motioned for him to follow her down the hallway. He did so with little resistance. At this moment, there really wasn't much of a point doing much else. Where could he run to? Even if he managed to get all the way back upstairs, the exits to the gallery were all locked. They'd discovered this while trying to look for Trina in the upper-world.

When they reached the end of the hallway, they came upon a door. Ib looked to Gavin with a questioning gaze. "Do you think…that she's behind here?"

Gavin hesitated, for what seemed like the millionth time that day, and was about to voice his obvious doubt over Trina being simply behind a door, until he looked at the desperation in Ib's eyes.

"I'm sure we'll find her, even if she isn't. Stop worrying so much, she's okay, and we're gonna get out of here, _with_ Trina, together!" Damn, when did he suddenly decide to grow a heart? But it seemed to work, because Ib was looking right at him, with hope, and something else he couldn't decipher, written all over her face, and into her deep, red eyes.

"Gavin…" she whispered, almost breathlessly. This caused the black-haired teen to gulp, his stormy gray eyes widening, and his usually pale skin turning into a deep rouge. She was getting closer to him. Why? Was she really going to…

"Thanks for the encouraging, but did you have to be so cheesy about it?" she said in her deadpanned manner.

And, there it was, the moment completely shattered, all over the floor. Ib took his moment of being flabbergasted to try and open the door.

It wouldn't budge. The door was locked tight. Ib's eyes widened in shock and frustration. Why, after all that, would they come to the door that could lead them to Trina, only to be locked out? Gavin, having finally regained some of his senses, blurted out, "okay, well it looks like it won't open. Such a shame, maybe we should just head back?"

Ib sighed, looks like he was just a spineless idiot, after all, she thought as they walked back towards the steps…only to find that they were missing.

"WHAT? NO WAY! I _KNOW_ THERE WAS A SET OF STAIRS, RIGHT HERE!" Gavin shouted in a state of hysteria. "Ib..this has _got_ to be another trick! What is going on? I don't know anything about ANYTHING anymore!" He sank to the ground, and just looked straight-up pitiful. So this is what she was going to have to put up with. Oh dear…

In the midst of Gavin's over-dramatic sobs, Ib turned her head to find anything else that could distract her from her partner. She looked over at the other end of the hallway…it too had a door at the end, but something, or some_things_ were blocking the entrance.

"Gavin, shut up! I think I found something!" she whispered as she walked quickly over to the other end of the hall. She knew that he was following her by the way he sniffled every five seconds. Oh, brother.

When they reached the other end, they found two roses, half-bloomed, half wilted. Each had five petals on their stalks, and one was a deep red, and the other was a bright cerulean blue. This seemed to set something off deep within both teenagers. It's as if they knew that these roses held their lives, almost like they'd been through something like this before.

But Ib had only encountered this in her dreams, whereas Gavin had probably never seen anything like this before. The blue rose had usually gone to Garry…

Even so, he picked the rose up gingerly, as if he'd known the importance of its mortality all along. He had a strange expression on his face, Ib mused to herself. She then looked at the now empty vases atop the rickety table. _It looks like it can be moved quite easily, _Gavin thought, before he set to work on pushing it out of the way of the door.

"Gavin, what are you doing?" questioned Ib when he was through. He didn't answer right away, as he reached for the door and turned the knob.

_Click_

He breathed a sigh of relief. Good, he thought, some progress. He turned to Ib and finally said, "What does it look like I'm doing? We have to find your sister, remember? Maybe there's something back here that can let us through the other door."

He opened the door to confirm his suspicions. There, on the floor beneath a picture of a smiling woman, was a bright blue key. Gavin smirked, deciding that this crazy world wasn't all that scary, and plucked the key from the ground. Standing up and keeping the smirk on his face, he turned to Ib and boasted, "see? Not so bad once you know what you're looking for, eh?" Ib just rolled her eyes at him and walked out the door, motioning for him to do the same. What neither person cared to notice was the expression that now adorned the smiling lady as they walked out of the room. Her contented smile had turned into a wide grin, her eyes wide and cat-like as of those of the Cheshire.

When they left the room, they noticed the immediate change in letters on the wall. They were blood red, and said something different. Gavin, too freaked out at this point to care what they said, made a mad dash for the other end, before being stopped in his tracks. Ib crashed right behind him and groaned painfully on impact.

"You jerk, what was that for?" she snapped, before realizing that he was looking at the floor. Right at his feet, were the same blood-red letters that now adorned the wall.

_Thieves!_

Ib gasped as more memories began to rush towards her. Why did she feel like she'd been through all this before? More importantly, why couldn't she remember any fine details? She pushed the nagging thoughts away as she gently shook Gavin's shoulder.

"Come on…" she said in a soft, nervous voice "we need to get through that door…"

"Y-yeah…" he affirmed in a shaky voice. "L-let's go, Ib."

If she was surprised at him using her first name so casually, she didn't let it show on her face. She'd have more time to worry about that later, when they weren't on a mission.

They finally reached the end of the hallway, and Gavin placed the key into the keyhole below the blue door's knob. "Now or never…" he muttered, as he heard the soft click of the lock turning.

**End of Chapter 4**

**AN: Well, this is an interesting predicament. And yes, I know I'm a meanie for putting in a cliff-hanger, but really, they're just too much fun to resist!**

**Also, I'd like to inform you guys that I'll be having one of my good writer buddies beta-ing this story for me. She doesn't really play Ib, or know anything about the game, but she knows her way around grammar and punctuation, so I'm thankful for her help. So thank you, CrazyCatie, for being my Beta.**

**See you guys next time! **


	5. Chapter 5: Bouts of Madness

**AN: Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in the last couple of days. My mom took my sister and I out for some last minute fun before she has to say good-bye to her babies! I'll miss you, Mom! I promise to visit as often as I'm allowed, and I love you! :D**

**Anyway, you guys probably don't wanna hear that mushy stuff, but too bad. I love my mommy, and I will give her a farewell in every way possible! :D **

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Ib. If I DID, well…let's just say that Ib would be older, and there would be some romance scenes! :3**

**Saving My Savior**

**Chapter 5: Bouts of Madness**

When the door opened, all Gavin and Ib could see was a room that looked like an extension to the gallery. Several pictures lined the wall. It was an art major's fantasy, and at the same time, an art major's nightmare. The paintings were beautiful, but Ib could tell that something was off about them. She knew that Gavin was thinking the same, by the way he kept stealing looks at every other picture, as if they'd jump out at them at some point.

She wouldn't have been surprised if they did.

For some reason, she felt as though she'd been through all this before. Pictures of bugs hanging on the wall, a lone ant crawling just below them, a sign that said "Beware of Edges," and a hallway that had a huge hole in the room. The thing about the hole that made her really think about it, was the fact that there was a ripped up painting in the middle. She'd had a dream like that. Something about a monster chasing her, and getting across the whole with a painting of an ant. Ib shook her head. Obviously they couldn't go any further this way. They'd have to go up and out the door at the other end of the room.

"We can't go this way, so we'll just have to go back out and go the other direction."

Gavin looked like he didn't want to go any further in ANY direction, except for the Exit. Unfortunately, there was no sign of one, and their only way out was gone, now. He closed his eyes in frustration and nodded. "Alright, but let's be quick about it. This place _really_ gives me the creeps.

Ib nodded in agreement, as they made their way towards the narrow passageway, shoulder to shoulder.

Bad Idea.

Almost immediately, something stretched out of the walls on either side and grabbed hold of both teenager's arms. They both received a blow to the stomach before falling to the ground. Ib winced in pain and looked at the walls. Her eyes widened. There, in front of her, was a long, black hand reaching out from the wall. _Just like in my dream…_She thought, except, she was beginning to suspect that her dreams weren't dreams at all, and were, in fact, memories.

Still, she wanted to hold on to the idea that none of this was real, and that she was just having another dream, that was really realistic, and would have to have another session with her therapist. That wouldn't end well, she could already tell.

Gavin was beside himself in sheer terror. He too, was looking at the hands that had spontaneously jutted out of the wall.

"Wh—Wha-What?!" was all he could manage to say. This was all too much for him to take in, and they hadn't even started the journey! He also couldn't help but feel like he'd been through something like this before, but he didn't know how or where.

Both Ib and Gavin looked down at their roses on impulse. One of the petals had withered and fallen off. Only four remained for each of them. It suddenly dawned on them that these roses represented their life forces, and the vases were the first aid kits. Ib looked at Gavin, and Gavin looked at Ib. There was a silent communication going on between them with just their eyes. If they wanted to get out of this world, they'd have to stick together, and they'd have to be careful!

They decided to continue through the narrow path single file; Gavin in front, and Ib behind. More hands popped out, but luckily they stuck to their plan, and neither were bothered. They reached the other doorway and opened the door, finding it, in fact, unlocked.

"Thank God," Gavin cried in exasperation as he opened the door all the way. "Well, I think things are gonna get better from here on out."

Oh, how wrong he was.

From getting attacked by headless mannequins, to being injured by spitwads from creepy paintings of smiley faces with their tongues sticking out. Gavin thought that those particular paintings were scary, mostly because the face just screamed creepy clown.

Then of course, there was that stupid math question where they had to search for the numbers in a doll, take advice from paintings, and Ib, had a premonition that only the brown was telling the truth, and he found out by process of elimination, since none of the other paintings had agreed with Brown. They had to be right, and they were, and the painting was killed for it. Third number came from a really tiny number in a very white portrait.

After that, they were attacked by Ladies in various colors, and were followed by mannequin heads (Ib had to stop him from kicking one that had followed them into a room with a mirror)!

"W-Well…at…at least it can't get any worse, right?" he said in a shaky voice.

They looked at a painting called "Separation" and suddenly, the lights went out. In the darkness, Gavin heard Ib say in a deadpanned voice,

"Shut up, Gavin."

**End of Chapter 5**

**AN: Okay, yeah, I'll admit that this was a reaaallly bad chapter, but I'm just really busy, and I'm moving tomorrow, and I'm gonna miss my family, and whatnot. Also, I wanted to let you guys know that I'm planning on making this story about 10-12 chapters long, in all, because I know how I want to end this, and I want to keep it fresh in my mind! I'll try to update more frequently, now that I'm home, and hopefully the chapters are better! If you like this, then that means I've done my job, and I'm making people happy!**

**See ya next time!**


	6. Chapter 6: Not So Bad After all

**AN: Once again, I apologize for the filler, but some have to be made if you want to get anywhere in the story. Remember, I'm probably gonna stop at 12 chapters, and maybe an epilogue, but other than that, I need to worry about school and whatnot, and I don't want to make the story so long anymore, because then it would cease to have a point, and I'd lose interest in it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Ib. If I DID, well…let's just say that Ib would be older, and there would be some romance scenes! :3**

**Saving My Savior**

**Chapter 6: Not So Bad After All**

So, here they were, sitting in the dark…alone…no way out (they'd felt their way towards the door, but found it locked). Ib sighed in the darkness and leant her head on the back of a bookshelf. "Well, this is a wonderful start. What's next on the agenda, getting attacked by bunnies?"

Gavin cringed, as he was not a huge fan of large rodents, such as rabbits. Still, he would have preferred to be in a room FILLED with them, if it meant he could leave this asylum. He felt around in his pocket for anything that could be useful. "Ah hah!" he shouted in the darkness. He'd found his cell phone. Why he hadn't thought to pull that out in the first place was beyond him. He turned the device on, only to find that it only had one bar of battery left. Oh…that's why. Still, it was a comfort to have something to help see.

"It's not much, and it won't last long, but at least we can talk face to face and hopefully come up with a plan," he said quietly, refusing to look Ib in the eye. It's not like she'd show any form of gratitude towards him, anyway.

"Thank you, Gavin…" she mumbled. He turned his head at her word of thanks in shock. He could just barely make out her features in the soft glow of his cell phone's light. Her expression was still unreadable, but something about her eyes just made him want to stop what he was doing or saying, and help her.

Her deep, red eyes that looked so strong, just at the surface, but beneath it there was the feeling of broken memories, of pain, and lots of sadness. All this for her little sister, or was it something else? For some reason, he couldn't help but feel partially responsible for it.

Then again, he mocked her almost every chance he got. But he had good reason for it. Ib was such an interesting specimen of a human. She rarely spoke to anyone, yet she was very helpful and kind. He also noted that whenever she came to class, she slept through most of the lectures. Normally, this would've been a bad thing, had her grades not been so good. They were better than his own. But what really got to Gavin were the things she talked about in her sleep.

"_No…please…take mine, not his."_

"_I had no choice! I didn't mean to!"_

"_No! I won't let you take her, too!"_

"_Fire..so much fire…"_

Then, of course, there was the more recent one: "_Leave me alone, you're not real!"_

He'd always wondered what was making her say such things, and why it was taking away her sleep. When he'd first asked her, she'd simply walked away, and ignored him, like she did to everyone else.

What she hadn't counted on was for Gavin to be so stubborn. After she'd turned away, he started calling her out, saying she was chicken, told her to "man up," and then said her painting sucked. This last part seemed to strike a nerve in Ib, as she turned around and began to berate him in front of the entire campus. After which, she'd blushed and turned away, as if to pretend that it'd never happened.

And so had begun Gavin and Ib's rivalry.

_Looking back on it now_, he thought, _I was a bit of an ass to her…If only she wasn't so frustratingly interesting, I probably wouldn't have given her a second thought._

Gavin wasn't really that much of a bad guy, in fact, his friends in high school had often joked that he was too gentlemanly and chivalrous to belong with their generation. They kept calling him "Doctor Who," or say that he was acting "Like a Sir," as to mock the ever popular meme. Gavin never cared. He felt like a lady should be treated with respect, like Trina, for example. But Trina was a little girl. She was the type of person who'd welcome chivalry and call him a prince.

Ib, her sister, was completely different in that regard, and he felt he should treat her as such. He guessed that that kind of charm would have worked if she were younger, but not now, especially when she didn't want people knowing she had nightmares.

Gavin sighed, looking at Ib in the dimming light and rolled his eyes, pulling something else out from his jacket. On instinct, Ib flinched away, thinking he was just going to flick her nose.

She turned her head away, until she heard some more rustling, and then smelled something akin to strawberries and cookies. She turned her head back towards Gavin. His arm was extended towards her, while his face looked the other way into the darkness.

In his outstretched hand, was a strawberry macaroon.

Ib looked down at the pastry, then back at him, then down at the pastry, as if she didn't know what to do with it.

"What is this?"  
"It's a macaroon, obviously."

"I know that, but why are you giving it to me?"

At this, Gavin sighed. "Look, I just wanted to say that I was sorry, and I know that I've made you put up with a lot of crap, but the only reason I was like that was, well, because you always keep your emotions bottled up, unless you're provoked. So, I figured that was the only way you'd come out of your shell. I know I've acted like an ass, but really, I'm not THAT bad of a guy once you get to know me. So…just take the stupid macaroon and be happy, if just for a little bit, kay?"

He still wasn't looking at her, but Ib could tell under the faint glow of his cell phone, that his cheeks had begun to turn red, and his face held an emotion that she really couldn't define.

Also, something about this whole scene made Ib think about Garry. How she wished she had brought him with her, knowing that the stuffed doll would have brought her comfort, but she hadn't wanted Gavin to find out about her "weakness" and had left him behind. But now, she began to reconsider her earlier assumptions about the black-haired teen.

She _had_ been pretty cold to him when he'd simply asked why she always looked so tired. Then again, she always wondered why he was the only one to ask her about her dreams, when she apparently spoke out loud in her sleep. Was he really that concerned about her? Had she completely misjudged him? Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. Maybe she could learn to open up to him, like she had with Trina…and…Garry.

Just the thought about the man from her dreams made her heart clinch. Would the same thing happen to Trina that'd happened to him? What about Gavin? She couldn't deny that they'd been through a lot in the past few hours and had begun to form a friendship. But if she told Gavin about her dreams, would he too, fade away? Would he be in more danger than he already was? This was why she couldn't trust anyone or be friends with anyone. She couldn't let anyone else suffer the dreams and chaotic memories that she had to endure since the tender age of nine.

Then again, maybe this was all a trap; a big joke, and she'd wake up, find that Gavin and Trina had been messing with her, and that their project still wasn't done! Oh, if that were the case, she was going to—

"Look, if you don't want the damned pastry, could you at least say so? We're running out of light, and my arm is getting tired."

Gavin's voice snapped Ib out of her thoughts as she once again looked up at the offered pastry. Slowly, Ib took the strawberry macaroon from Gavin's hand. When their hands met, there was a strange spark, and her red eyes went wide as she slowly lifted the macaroon to her lips with her shaky hands and took a big bite. It was not only the flavor of the strawberries, but the semi-sweet cream that set Ib's memories into chaos. Memories of corridors, headless mannequins, painted ladies, creepy blue dolls, Mary…

_She remembered!_

It was all real! This couldn't possibly be a dream, because she'd encountered it before. And the dreams she'd had weren't simply dreams, but memories, and variations of memories! She looked at Gavin again, who was now facing her, his eyes filled with concern. "Hey, what's wrong? Did they already go stale? Ib? Come on, talk to me, what's—woah!"

He gave a shout of surprise as Ib interrupted his babbling by throwing her arms around him. "I-Ib? W-What are you doing?" His face grew very hot as the cell phone's battery finally went out and with it, their only light source.

What was he supposed to do in this kind of situation? He'd just given her a simple pastry, and suddenly she's all over him! He slowly placed a hand on her head and the other one clumsily went around her waist. "Uh…okay..umm…you're…welcome…I think?" He stopped talking again, because he felt something warm and wet soak the front of his shirt. More to the point, he could hear Ib making strange hiccupping noises.

Was Ib…crying…over a stupid macaroon?

"L-look, Ib, if it's that good, we'll just get more late-" he began.

"I remember…" she interrupted in a rough, watery voice.

"What?" he asked, genuinely confused. Remembered what? He thought she'd never had macaroons before, and now one has made her remember something?

"Those dreams….th-they weren't just d-dreams. They were m-memories! An-And now…now Trina's stuck here! I'm never gonna see her again…just like Garry!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing harder.

First off, who the flip was Garry, and second, how could she have memories of this place? She couldn't have possibly been here before, could she?

Then again, this was Ib he was talking about. She never showed any kind of emotion, save for the usual stubbornness, or sisterly affection and worry for Trina. To see here in such a state, Gavin couldn't help but believe her. If these memories of hers were enough to make her act this way…he couldn't imagine what might be in store for them, next.

"H-Hey, look…" he started with a reassuring tone (or at least what he hoped was), "I said I'd help you find Trina, and that we were going to get out of here, together. I'm not going back on my word now, just because you remember being here before. So your first experience here didn't go out completely the way you'd planned, but you didn't have ME there, last time. This time, I KNOW we're going to make it out! So stop crying and pull yourself together, because I could really use the annoying, level-headed Ib right about now."

Ib sniffled a few more times before pulling away from Gavin. "Y-yeah…let's get out of here, with Trina…together…" Though he couldn't see it, he could tell from the way she was talking, that she was smiling, albeit sadly, but it was good enough for him.

"That's the spirit!" he exclaimed, feeling for, and reaching her hand to pull her up with him. "Now, let's see if we can't find a light switch, or a key even, to get out of this weird…"

There was a pounding at the door.

"room…"

The pounding continued, until Ib and Gavin could hear the door being kicked down. This wasn't going to end well. Ib, who was trying to keep her confidence, began to waver, too tired from crying and over-exerting herself in this hell hole of a maze. Gavin grasped her hand. "Don't move…maybe it will go away."

But it was a futile thought. The intruder behind the door gave one more kick, and the door gave out, blasting out onto the opposite end of the wall, mere inches away from Ib and Gavin. Light was coming out in streams from the new opening, and a tall figure stood at the entryway.

"W-who's there?!" Gavin shouted in a wavering voice, his eyes squinting to adjust to the light.

Ib watched the man walk slowly towards them and gasped.

"G-Garry?"

**End of Chapter 6**

**AN: OMG! IT'S GARRY? WTF?!**

**Bet you guys weren't expecting that, were you? ;) This should make the story a little more interesting, wouldn't you say? Find out what happens next!**

**See you next time!**


	7. Chapter 7: Garry

**AN: Hello, again. As you all may have noticed, Ib and Gavin have run into a very old friend of hers, and what's more, she remembers everything about the Fabricated world! The real question is, is this really Garry, or the Fake Garry? Also, what about Gavin? Looks like you'll just have to find out in this next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Ib. If I DID, well…let's just say that Ib would be older, and there would be some romance scenes! :3**

**Saving My Savior**

**Chapter 7: Garry…**

Ib stood very still, her eyes wide and her hands relinquished from Gavin to cover her mouth. There, before her, was Garry, the man who'd given his life to save her own. She took a small, hesitant step forward. He hadn't changed a bit. He looked exactly as she remembered him to look from her memories, and dreams.

"G-Garry! Is…Is it really you?"

The man looked at her in the semi-darkness and pulled something out of his pocket. There was a slight clicking sound, and suddenly, a large flame emitted from what looked like a lighter in the man's hand.

"I'm sorry, miss, but…have we met?" he said slowly, his voice sounding like it hadn't been used in years, which it probably hadn't. Why didn't he remember her, unless…

_Of course!_

Time probably hadn't passed in this realm! That's why he looked so young, and why he didn't recognize her. While 9 years had passed in the real world, and Ib had grown up, Garry had stayed in the Fabricated World, and hadn't aged a day.

"Garry…it's me…" she said softly. "You saved my life when I was just a little girl."

Garry looked at her with confusion, while Gavin just kept going back and forth between Ib and this stranger with his eyes. Who was this guy? Was he the one that had been causing her nightmares? He clenched his fists together.

But, then again, she _did_ say that he'd saved her life. Maybe this had been the Garry she'd been talking about a few minutes earlier. But if that were the case, from the way she had been talking, shouldn't he be like, dead, or something? Besides, if this were the real "Garry," why didn't he remember Ib?

It was at that very moment when Garry's eyes widened, and his face became a look of shock mixed with hope. "Ib…is…is it really you?" He closed the distance between them with three long strides, until he was face to face with her. One long hand came up and caressed her cheek, as he looked into her crimson eyes with his stormy gray ones.

Ib for her part, hadn't completely finished crying on Gavin's shoulder, so it wasn't as surprising when she looked up at her long, lost friend, a few tear drops began to trickle from her eyes. Garry gently wiped them away with his thumb, before Ib scrunched her eyes shut and threw her arms around his neck.

"W-woah, Ib!" Garry said for the second time since meeting her those nine years ago, his body instantly stiffened by her sudden reaction.

"I…I can't believe that I forgot you, even with all those dreams! But now, you're here! You're alive! I can't believe your alive! I'm just so happy to see you!" she sobbed into the collar of his worn out jacket. Her voice, and her cries were muffled by the fibers of his clothing as his arms finally went around her. His head was still above hers, but now she was at the perfect height for him to touch his forehead to his own.

"It's alright, Ib. What's important, now, is that you've come back, and now, we can escape this world, together," he whispered softly to the crying teen before him.

Ib simply nodded in his hold, her voice long gone from the shock and happiness of the moment.

Gavin couldn't believe what he was seeing! What, were they long lost lovers, or something? Wait, no, that couldn't be possible, if he'd saved her as a _child_, and he supposed that this Garry character hadn't aged a day. Maybe it was a brother-sister reunion.

_Then again, if I had a sister, I wouldn't be hugging her like _that, he thought. Plus, something about the whole ordeal just felt…wrong to him. He couldn't explain it, but he definitely didn't want to be around this new, sobbing, lovey-dovey Ib for much longer.

Just as their faces were moving closer and closer, Gavin cleared his throat, effectively ruining the moment, and earning himself a glare from Ib. Of course she wasn't happy, but there were more important matters at hand.

"I hate to interrupt, but it seems that you're forgetting something, Blomme. We're not here to rekindle old romances. We're here to find your sister, _then_ find a way out."

Ib sighed, and glared at Gavin one last time, before giving in. She looked back into Garry's eyes. "He's right. I'm sorry, Garry, but I have to find my little sister, Trina before we can leave." She had completely forgotten why she'd come back in the first place.

Garry, for his part, gave her a small smile, and his kind eyes warmed her heart again. "Alright, don't you worry, Ib. We'll find your sister, and then we'll all get out of here, together." He looked up, finally, at Gavin.

Gavin looked back at Garry, as if to say he wasn't intimidated by his presence, though he actually was. He flinched when the newcomer spoke.

"I don't believe we've met. My name is Garry," he said in a pleasant voice, though his eyes told a different story. Gavin could tell that this stranger didn't want him around.

"Uh…Gavin, Gavin Rush. I'm Ib's partner in Art History II. We've been trying to find her sister, and a way out of this topsy turvy world." He swallowed his pride, yes, but his clenched hands showed that he didn't trust this "Garry" character at all.

Plus, he was more than a little disturbed about how _close_ he and Ib were getting. He narrowed his eyes once Garry had his back turned from him.

Ib turned back to Gavin. "You..you don't mind if he joins us, do you?" Gavin hesitated, and was about to say that he actually did mind, but one look into Ib's eyes, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to say it to her face. He took a deep breath, and let it out. He was doing a LOT of pride swallowing, lately.

"Yeah…I guess so."

"THANK YOU!" Her answer was so instantaneous, that Gavin didn't have time to react when she threw her arms around him a second time, only this one knocked him off his feet and back onto the floor.

"Ooof! Ugh, yeah, yeah, come on, get off me, Blomme. We can take care of all this mushy crap later. Let's go!" He said as he gently tugged her person of himself, and then helped her back onto her feet. He waited until Ib was next to Garry, and both had walked out the door before following behind. Just because Ib had affirmed that Garry was a friend, didn't mean that Gavin could really trust him. He was gonna keep his eye on this new guy. If he tried anything on Ib, he'd better watch out. Gavin would show NO mercy to protect his new….friend.

_**Meanwhile…**_

Deeper into the gallery, there was a crudely drawn world where a little girl's fantasies once came true. There was a shadowy figure, playing with a marionette. Her dark, brown curls were tied up in pigtails, and there was a large smile on her face. She looked to be the picture of happiness…

Until you got closer to her, and you saw the droplets on the ground, and the tears in her eyes.

"P-Please…Please stop doing this…" she whimpered, her smile finally faltering as she began to cry more. Her face changed again, but this time to one with malicious intent.

"But, I thought we were having fun! You want to see your sister again, right?" The little girl nodded to herself.

"Then we have to play this game, and maybe a few more, before she finally realizes that she belongs here, with you…and me!" The little girl giggled happily, before her face changed to sorrow once more. Tears gently fell down her porcelain face and onto the floor again.

"Ib…" she said weakly. "Ib…please run away…run away…it's a trap….please…sissy…"

**End of Chapter 7**

**AN: Uh oh..this smells trouble..er..I think. Also, this was my first time really writing something so fluffy, especially with characters like Ib and Garry. But, what about Gavin? How's this going to play out? You'll just have to find out, next time!**

**See you then! ;)**


	8. Chapter 8: Castaway

**AN: Hey guys! Sorry that this one's late! I have no major excuses except for the usual: School, Laziness, and really, I just kinda forgot…I'm super super sorry. Anyway, hold on to your hats for this chapter! This next one's gonna be pretty intense. I ask that anyone with a weak digestion system please leave the premises…*turns to walk away from the premises , but is dragged back to the chapter* Oh, fine! Well, here we go, again!**

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Ib. If I DID, well…let's just say that Ib would be older, and there would be some romance scenes! :3**

**Saving My Savior**

**Chapter 8: Castaway**

Ib hadn't felt this light in years. She now had Garry with her, and with his help, and Gavin's, they'd be able to find Trina a WHOLE lot faster. Still, something in the back of her head told her that something wasn't exactly…_right_ about all this. Where was Garry's rose? Why was Gavin's blue? Maybe, when Garry…fell asleep, his painting, _The Forgotten Portrait_ had brought him back to life, without the use of a rose. Ib nodded to herself, deciding that she accepted this theory, and that with her memories restored, and with Garry by her side, she could finally be happy, and maybe not have as many nightmares.

Gavin, for his part, didn't trust Garry…at ALL! He was supposed to be Ib's long lost friend, right? Where was his rose? From what Ib had told him before, Garry's rose had been blue. So why was his OWN blue? Could there only be two at a time, or was Garry not who he said he was? And for the love of God, why had Ib given that sorry loser his LAST MACAROON?! Oh, they'd both pay for that one. Gavin didn't ponder for much longer, because out of the corner of his eyes, he caught something blue and black and…red…

Ib and Garry were far ahead of him anyway, and he'd been known to be a pretty decent runner, so he'd catch up eventually. With that in mind, he walked back to the thing he'd seen on the ground and simply stared.

That was one messed-up looking doll.

It's eyes were bright red, it's outfit being made up of a very colorful dress, with wild black hair. The doll itself was a bright blue, wearing a green dress. But what disturbed Gavin most of all, was the doll's poorly stitched smile.

It was almost like this doll had a secret, and the stitches on its smile prevented it from telling him. His suspicions only rose further when he saw the writing next to the doll.

"_He walks without shadow and with invisible strings. He'll steal her away and take her things. Nothing but doom, he brings."_

Okay, that was all well and good, but what did that mean. He looked down at the doll again and then shrugged his shoulders before picking it up. Yes, he realized that the doll looked creepy, and it would probably try to kill him just like anything else in this warped hellhole, but Gavin also had a weird feeling that it was connected to the writing on the wall…and that it would help him in the long run. Also, though he'd never admit it out loud, the doll looked rather lonely…as if casted away…_like me_, he thought bitterly as he recalled recent events and the newest addition to their group. Gavin was beginning to feel like Ib probably didn't need him anymore. _Not that I _care_..._he thought quickly, _I just don't wanna be left here by myself…in this creepy funhouse of horrors!_

Gavin looked up from the doll one last time, and his eyes widened in an instant. Neither Ib, nor Garry were in the hallway anymore, and the end of the hallways split into three different directions! They could be anywhere by now! He gritted his teeth and decided that he would decide where to go through process of elimination. However, he knew that he'd have to set up a sort of marker, so he'd know he'd been down one of the hallways. He fumbled around in his pockets for anything.

Dead cell phone…

…car keys…

…empty plastic bag which previously held precious and yummy macaroons…

…annnd pocket lint…

Yeah, none of this stuff would be very useful as markers, and it would be bad if he ended up losing his keys and phone in the process…he sighed in frustration and turned towards the wall in thought, when he noticed a tiny table in front of him. Strangely enough, instead of a vase set atop the table, there were three more creepy dolls identical to the one he was holding in his arms.

Coincidence? It couldn't have been, since he'd found the other doll not too far away. They must've walked down a corridor with creepy dolls made by Guertena, though Gavin couldn't remember ever reading anything about the artist making them. Still, they were convenient for his purposes.

Gavin began to pick up the dolls when he noticed another message scrawled onto the walls, _"take us with you, Gavin! We know who you are and so does she. But we're more fun, so play with us three!"_

And the creepy just got creepier with that passage.

Gavin shivered as he proceeded to pick the dolls up once more, but with more vigor this time. _Just another reason to get out of this hell hole. Finding cryptic messages on the wall certainly makes _me_ feel at home._ He thought as he set the first doll on the ground and carried the rest with him down the first hallway.

_**Back at the Doll House**_

Trina smiled a cunning smile, for it was she who had placed the dolls there for Gavin. She'd begun to realize that she could have relapses where she could be in control, and _she_ would never know about it. However, they were always short-lived so she had to act fast when she knew that she was in control. Any moment now, her body would no longer be hers again, and she'd be picking up her marionettes once more. She looked over at the puppets with forlorn.

One was a girl with bright red eyes…

The other, a man with shocking purple hair…

With only a few seconds left, she ran over to a mirror and whispered something to it. In an instant, her reflection was gone, and she could see Gavin walking down a hallway, clutching the dolls she'd "conveniently" placed on the table. She clasped her hands together and clenched her eyes shot, sending a silent prayer and plea to hers and Ib's only hope.

_Please…save her. Save my savior!_

She closed the mirror's connection, and then her mind was pushed away again.

Her eyes opened, and this time, they were a bright, robin's egg blue as she walked back to the table with the marionettes, and picked them up. "Nearly there now," she mumbled. She often wondered how this little girl had enough strength to push her back, even if it was just for a little while. Still, she couldn't have done anything major in only a few minutes, right?

_Even if you do..._she threatened menacingly in her thoughts to Trina, _you won't stop me. You still don't have enough strength to fully push me out, and anything you try will be futile. Still, I don't want any foul-ups. Shall we proceed to the… "Love Scene," Trina?_

The little girl gave a wicked smile as she heard the wailing in her head. The pleas and the begging that fell onto deaf ears.

"_Please! No…please don't hurt Ib! I'll be good! I promise! I won't do anything else! Just please, don't do this to her! Let her go!"_

The girl smiled once more and picked the marionettes up again. "Let's see just how far Ib is willing to go to save her precious Garry." She laughed again, looking at the Garry doll left discarded in a corner of the house. There was something foreboding about that doll, just like there was something that she didn't like about that Gavin boy, but it seemed he'd gotten lost, so she didn't worry too much. He wouldn't find Ib in time.

All according to plan…

All according to plan…

Locked inside her own mind, Trina cried, hoping against hope that this was all a nightmare, and they would all be back home, safe and sound.

Her body began to move the marionettes for the next "scene," and Trina knew that this was too real to be a nightmare. She just hoped that Gavin would really be the prince that she thought he was, and come to Ib's rescue before it was too late!

_**Meanwhile…**_

Ib and Garry had been walking for a while now, and talking about how things had changed in the real world while he had been stuck in the Gallery.

"And there are these iPhones? I think they're getting a little redundant now, but they're still pretty cool. I can't really afford one, but I think it'd be fun to have one, wouldn't you agree?"

Garry simply smiled his soft, gentle smile and continued walking with Ib, holding her hand gently in his own. "I've missed so much…" he said quietly. "It's nice to know that someone will be there to help me get re-acquainted with the world" he finished with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm sure that we both can, Gavin and I, that is" she said excitedly. She was glad that she was on good terms with her art partner now, and hoped that they really could be good friends now.

Garry's hand clenched slightly around Ib's at the mention of the other boy. "Oh…" he said with a strained voice, "Yes, that would be lovely, I'm sure…"

It was then that Ib suddenly realized that there was one less voice in their group. Gavin had become fairly quiet all the sudden, almost to the point that he wasn't there! She turned her head to look behind her, only to see that Gavin, in fact, wasn't even there at all!

Ib groaned. "Oh great! Speak of the devil, he's missing!" How could he have fallen behind so quickly? She sighed and slumped her shoulders as she began to turn around and walk the opposite direction that they were heading. "Well, I guess we should go look for the idiot before he wets himself in fear." Was he trying to make a fool of her?

She turned around when she noticed that Garry wasn't following her anymore.  
"What's wrong?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"Nothing…" he said with a hard look in his eyes that he quickly masked. Ib wondered if she had even really seen it. "I just think that we should just keep going. He'll catch up, I'm sure."

Ib hesitated. "Well, I guess that's true, but I also think we should stick together. Let's find hi—"

"No!" Garry shouted, grasping Ib's hand once more, this time with a harsher grip. Ib's eyes widened in shock and fear. Garry quickly recovered and cleared his throat to take on a more gentle tone. "I mean, no, we've covered too much ground. He'll catch up to us, trust me. Besides…it IS a good thing that he's not here right now…"

"Why's that?" Ib asked, tilting her head once more. She was becoming suspicious. Garry had never acted this way before, and it was actually beginning to frighten her. However, when his eyes suddenly softened, and his lips lifted into a quiet and shy smile, her doubts lessened slightly.

"I don't think…that I would have enough courage to do what I'm about to do in the presence of another man…" he whispered as he closed the distance between them.

Ib's cheeks began to take on a rosy color as his face grew closer to her own, his eyes closing, and his cold, soft hand coming up to cup her cheek. She knew what was going to happen next…and her stomach exploded into butterflies of anticipation and giddiness as his soft lips pressed against her own.

And suddenly, all her doubts left her as she closed her eyes and gently placed her hands on Garry's chest. This was her first kiss, yes, but she at least knew how to respond (from seeing her parents kissing, no doubt), even though it was a very timid and unsure response. Then, her mind went blank, and all she could think of was how nice Garry's lips had felt on her own as he pulled away and gazed softly into her eyes.

"Ib…" he whispered softly.

Ib shivered at the way he said her name, and she knew right then and there, she was putty in his hands.

"Ib…" he said her name again not once relinquishing his gaze, "May I have your rose?"

**End of Chapter 8**

**AN: Okay, THAT was strenuous. I really am sorry for such a late update, but it's been a really weird semester, and I just kept getting blocked. I'm not even very happy with this chapter . but there it is, and it'll move the plot along. Also, since finals are coming up, Christmas Break will be around the corner, and I'll have a whole month to write up some more (if I don't get too lazy in the process). Thanks to everyone who's been sticking with me, and a special thank you to darkanine for sending me the review that got me off my butt and back to this chapter! Hopefully the next one won't take as long to be put up! Happy Holidays!**

**P.S.: I'm going to give you all a very obvious hint about Garry! Have you ever read the **_**Fushigi Yuugi**_** books? And there's your hint! And what the heck is goin on will poor lil Trina? Well, I'm sure you guys have figured THAT part out as well, but still, keep reading to find out!**


	9. Chapter 9:Lies,Tricks,Betrayals,Stories

**AN: I'd like to thank all you lovely reviewers for keeping me going and not giving up on this fic. I swear, I'm gonna finish this one, and it's gonna be awesome! Well…awesome enough. And I will NOT apologize for the cliff hangers. I like keeping people on the edge. It makes the wait for the next chapter all the more worth it. :3**

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Ib. If I DID, well…let's just say that Ib would be older, and there would be some romance scenes! :3**

**Saving My Savior**

**Chapter 9: Lies, Tricks, Betrayals, and Stories**

Surely Ib had misheard Garry. Surely he hadn't truly asked for her rose. What could he possibly want with it? It controlled _her_ life force, not his…

He looked at her expectantly, and then asked again, in his soft, sure voice. "Ib, may I please have your rose?"

She looked into his piercing gray eyes and said one word, "Why?"

Garry sighed and finally released his gaze upon her to focus his attention on the portrait, _Marvelous Night._

"Ib," he began softly "when Mary stole my rose and tore all the petals out of the stalk, she also took away my life force. The only reason I'm alive, is because I am a painting, now. Surely you've noticed the _Forgotten Portrait_ which wasn't there before. The _Hanging Man_ was placed there originally. When I died, it was moved to make room for…well…me."

Ib nodded, finally understanding why he was able to roam around without a rose. He was just like Mary, now. He was nothing more than a painting. But…what did that have to do with her rose?

"You're probably wondering what this has to do with your rose," he spoke, simultaneously interrupting and reading her thoughts. "Well, do you remember Mary's diary, and how she could only leave if someone were to take her place in the museum? Well it turns out that was only _one_ way of returning to the real world. Another more practical way is to take the rose of another person and share their life forces through the gallery. That way when it was time to make it to the other side, both people could leave this side of the gallery. However, this method should only be used with someone whom you hold a strong connection to, and well…seeing as how you have reciprocated my feelings, I was sort of hoping that we could…you know…share a life force?"

Towards the end of his speech, he began to grow more nervous until he couldn't look her in the eyes without turning bright end. By the time he'd finished talking, he was looking at blood red carpet, twiddling his fingers, nervously waiting for her answer.

He needn't to have worried, though, because when he lifted his head again to look into her eyes, all he saw was warmth and most likely, love. She slowly handed him the fully bloomed rose, a small, and very shy, smile on her face. "Okay, Garry…I trust you…"

Garry gingerly took the rose from Ib's hold, and turned around, his smile widening as he looked at the precious item holding Ib's life force. "Thank you, Ib," his voice silky and smooth. But as he turned back around to face her, Ib saw something change in his persona. His eyes were darker, and an eerie sense of foreboding permeated throughout his entire being. For the first time since she'd reunited with Garry, Ib was very frightened, especially when he touched the tip of one of her rose petals and said in a haunting voice as he ripped it out:

"You don't know what this means to me…"

_**Meanwhile…**_

"Great, I'm lost! Imagine that!" Gavin quietly raged to himself. He already wanted to get out of here unscathed, no need to wake up the gallery, and he meant that quite literally. He'd been picking up more dolls, as they seemed to pop up right outside a room he'd already checked. It almost seemed like they were _trying_ to help him get back to Ib and Garry. However, their riddles were always so confusing, but at the same time, effective. Because of their riddles, he was able to narrow down which direction he was heading, and which door to take. Still, even with their helpful riddles, Gavin was having a hell of a time trying to find the right door.

"It's not like they could just up and disappear…but where could they have gone? I swear, I wasn't even distracted for a minute!" There was no way they could have covered that much ground unless…

Unless it had been _planned!_

Gavin thought back to his very brief encounter with Garry, and recalled the violet-haired individual having an icy, almost possessive glance in his eyes whenever Gavin tried to talk to Ib. Also, when it was just her and Garry, Gavin noticed that his smiles often seemed to wide and unnatural to fit his face, but from what he'd learned from Ib, apparently those goofy smiles were common for her long lost friend. Still, Gavin felt that he had more reason to be anxious and upset than he previously thought.

_What if this is all a trap? What if he's actually trying to hurt her? Why do I care so much? Is it because I've lost my sanity and consider my rival a friend? Is there a chance that I could possibly…like her?_

His thoughts kept battling against one another, each theory mentally hitting his head like a load of bricks. The last one was even more ridiculous. Gavin could understand himself admiring Ib's determination to save her little sister, but actually having affection for his class partner/rival was a bit too much to handle. He often wondered if his feelings were even his own.

What Gavin never told Ib (or anyone for that matter), was that he sometimes felt like he was living someone else's life. Like he was a shell, and was only holding onto whatever was precious about this other…person for a little while. That was why Gavin always made it a point to try to be individual. He wanted to believe that this was his own life, and that no one could take it away from him. However, somewhere deep in his heart, he knew that he was just, as he liked to say, "keeping the body warm" for someone else. He clinched his eyes shut and shook his head. He couldn't think of such a depressing thought while he was on a mission. He had to find Ib and Garry so that they could save Trina together.

"If they even want me with them, that is…" he whispered to himself as his eyes drooped. He wouldn't be surprised. His parents had never thought him worthy of their time, since they were never around, and had left him to his own devices, starting at the age of 6, when he probably needed them the most. He looked down at the little dolls in his arms and the smiles stitched onto their faces. Again, he felt like he could relate to them, being alone, and probably unloved. His eyes hardened, and found a new resolve. Ib and Garry wanted to leave him behind, fine.

"Well, screw 'em, I don't need 'em. I'll find Trina by myself, and prove to Ib that I can be just as clever as her-"

"**NO, PLEASE! PLEASE STOP!" **

At the sound of those blood-curdled words, and a gut-wrenching scream that followed after, Gavin's words faltered and his heart froze. That had been Ib's voice. He'd recognized her screams from whenever she had nightmares during class. Where was she? What had happened? Wasn't Garry supposed to be with her?

"**NO! GARRY! DON'T! PLEASE, NO!"**

At those words, Gavin's blood ran cold, and his hands balled into tight fists. He turned his head in the direction of the screams and began to run towards it, dropping the dolls in the process. He'd known from the very beginning that something was fishy with this Garry character, and he now knew that he was right to be suspicious. The black-haired teen ran as if his life depended on it, not once giving up, even as his legs grew tired from the extra strain. He had to save her!

'_Hang on, Ib, just a little further, and I'll be there, I promise!'_ He thought over and over, wishing that she could hear his thoughts bring some form of comfort to her. The gallery had turned into a greater maze than he remembered, and it seemed like hours before he reached a door where the screams were the loudest. He could also hear Garry's voice coldly laughing at what had to be Ib's pain. What was that bastard doing to her?!

"Don't worry, Ib, we'll be together forever, soon…" he heard Garry say with a malevolent air to his voice. Gavin growled, knowing that, as annoying as Ib could be, she didn't deserve whatever torture this creep was giving her. No one did. Ib screamed again, and broke Gavin out of his thoughts. He wouldn't let her suffer any longer! He twisted the door knob, only to find it locked. He needed a key. Gavin growled in frustration, and in a moment of pure adrenaline, roared out, "SCREW IT!" before lifting his leg and delivering a swift, and powerful kick to the door.

**End of Chapter 9**

**AN: As I said before, I am NOT sorry for the cliffys!**

**On a side note: I'm so sorry about not updating, but at least this one was more recent than the previous chapter. Things are certainly heating up, and I'm not sure whether I can finish this in just 3 more chapters anymore. Hmm, we'll see what happens. Will Gavin reach Ib in time? I certainly hope so! Look for the next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10: Awakened

**AN: I love reading all these reviews! They make me so happy, and just push me to write more! Also, I don't want one of my anonymous reviewers jumping into a ditch! Please don't, you'll get the ouchies! All kidding aside, here's the next chapter!**

**P.S.: Any dialogue in bold italics is Gavin's side of the mental conversation…er…you'll get it when you read. . As a result, this is gonna be a loooooooong chapter….**

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Ib. If I DID, well…let's just say that Ib would be older, and there would be some romance scenes! :3**

**Saving My Savior**

_He twisted the door knob, only to find it locked. He needed a key. Gavin growled in frustration, and in a moment of pure adrenaline, roared out, "SCREW IT!" before lifting his leg and delivering a swift, and powerful kick to the door._

**Chapter 10: Awakened**

Aside from his leg giving off tiny vibrations of pain throughout his body, nothing happened.

The door was locked tight, and nothing could get in or out. Gavin cursed out loud, knowing that it wouldn't carry over Ib's tortured screams. He needed to think, but there was no time. He needed to get into the room, but the door was shut, and there were no other possible entries. His hands clenched into fists, and his head lowered so his bangs covered his eyes. He had to save her, and fast! Frustrated, he punched the wall next to the door frame.

'_Why...WHY do I have to feel so…so…'_

"…useless…"

His head shot up as his eyes widened.

He hadn't said that…not at loud, in any case…

Gavin turned his head slowly to the left of him, where the voice had come from. Before him, stood the shadowy outline of a little girl, and judging by the curly pigtails she sported, the shadow couldn't be anyone else but Trina. His mouth opened, and then closed, unsure of what to say, or do. After a few seconds of thinking of what to say, all he could manage to blubber out was:

"W-Who are you callin' useless?"

The outline shook its head. "_It is useless to open the door with mere force. You need the key!"_ the soft voice from before said. "Trina's" shadow had no mouth, so the voice seemed to come from nowhere, echoing and bouncing off the long corridors and hallways.

"A key? But, there's no time, I tell you! Ib's in serious trouble, and the key could be anywhere!" he shouted to the shadow. As if to prove his point, Ib's screams and sounds of struggle were growing weaker and weaker. The screams had fallen into whimpers, now, as well as final pleas for mercy.

The shadow sighed and then slowly lifted her right arm, and pointed to a door right across from her. "_The door is unlocked, I have made sure of that. Be sure that you don't waste that knowledge, because my time is up, and I can no longer be of help. But before I go, please, please…"_ She grabbed his hands, and instantly, the shadow turned solid, and before him stood the real Trina, her chocolate brown eyes close to tears as she choked out, "Save my sister, at all costs, even if it means saving her from_…me…"_ As the last of her words faded away, Trina began to disappear. Gavin tried to reach out to stop her, but by the time he'd lifted his hand to grab the girl, she was already gone.

Gavin clenched his fist once more, disbelieving his bad luck at the situation he was currently in. Ib was most likely close to death, and Trina was nowhere to be found. He turned back to the door that Trina had pointed to before she'd left.

_Guess I have no choice, _he thought ruefully as he hesitantly left the doorway that Garry and Ib were in. _Don't worry, Ib, I'll be back as soon as I can, _he shouted in his mind before wrenching the other door open, and finding an empty room with nothing but a small table in the middle. On the table was a light blue key, the exact same color as Ib's door. Gavin narrowed his eyes. No way could it be this easy. He slowly picked up the key and then quickly looked around…nothing. He sighed in relief and then took two steps away from the table, and then the room began to shake. "W-Wha-" he stopped speaking when the room became a deep blue. If he hadn't thought that something was wrong when the ground was shaking, then the blue lighting definitely set off warning bells!

_I gotta get out of here and get to Ib!_ he thought furiously as he made his way back to the door…only to find it locked from the outside. "NO WAY!" he shouted angrily. He clenched and gnashed his teeth together in frustration as he began to push his weight into the door, in vain attempts to open it. He began to panic when a voice began to speak in his ear:

"_You cannot leave until you've regained what you've lost…"_

But…he wasn't missing anything! He had the key, he had his things, all he NEEDED was to get to Ib, and fast!

"_You must think back…back to your childhood…"_

His…childhood…? Why would his childhood have anything to do with his current situation? He never recalled having to do anything like this as a child—

Then again, he couldn't really recall his childhood at all…Gavin paused in his futile attempts to break the door down and collapsed onto the floor, his head in his hands, wide grey eyes looking down at the blue ground.

There must have been some sort of mistake! He'd had a childhood, that much he knew. His ever-growing body and the aging of his own parents were a testament to that. However, if he were really honest with himself, sometimes he felt like his parents didn't exist if he wasn't in the room with them.

"_They are illusions, created simply so that your conscience wouldn't be alone as it re-matured," _ the voice continued.

"_**My conscience? Re-matured? Why would my conscience have to re-mature? I'm pretty sure it developed in the correct order according to my age, thank you very much!" **_ Gavin replied in his own head, having given up on sanity the moment he stepped into this upside-down world.

"_That is what your mind simply wants you to think. This body isn't your real body, this mind is not your real mind, your real body is gone, and your soul and mind are locked away. Once you became a part of this Gallery, your body was lost-"_

"_**Hold on, you make it seem as though I've been here before! I've never set foot in this godforsaken realm in all of my life!" **_ Gavin interrupted the voice again, having become beyond frustrated, and growing more and more anxious over the fate of Ib. _**"So kindly let me go, and let me do what I came in here to do!"**_

"_That is what I am trying to tell you…you can't leave this place until you realize just who you really are! You will still be able to save the girl, but not until you've awakened. Until then, time has been stopped. What you perceive to be an hour will most likely be no more than a second to the natural world…"_

If time was stilled, then Gavin still had a chance –slim as it may be- to save Ib. He relaxed slightly and continued his "conversation".

"_**Alright, you have my attention, since it seems I have no say in the matter either way. So what did you mean when you said my body was lost?"**_

"_You were killed by a portrait in this very Gallery. The name of the painting was called "_Mary"_, a girl would have traded your soul for hers to escape Guertena's world, if Ib had not exacted revenge."_

"_**Ib? She was with me? Did I go with her to this crazy world as a child?"**_

"_Not necessarily, no. She was just another victim, a small child that you had been willing to sacrifice your own life to save. Such a sacrifice generally does not go unrewarded. Your soul has been bound to that child ever since. You'd wished you could grow up with her, and so you did. You didn't know her, but that only made you more curious and determined to know her. Even when you chose to tease and taunt her, you were still looking out for her and stayed by her side. Even now you continue to watch over her."_

"_**You make it sound as though I was that Garry guy who led her around! He was like, nine years her senior! I'm only 4 months older than her! How could I possibly be him?" **_ This was beginning to not only confuse, but frighten Gavin. Not only because the idea was ridiculous, but also because it actually wasn't as ridiculous as much as it made sense. So much was lost…could that mean that he really was…he clenched his eyes shut and clamped his hands deeper onto his forehead, his fingernails digging into his scalp. Images and bright light flashed within his mind's eye, reconnecting blocked memories and thoughts that weren't quite his own, but were his at the same time.

"_Close your eyes, Gavin, and take deep breaths. You're nearly there…" _the voice was beginning to fade from his head as the light in his mind grew brighter and brighter. When the light suddenly burst through all corners of his mind, Gavin's eyes shot open, as he began taking deep breaths and released his death grip on his head. He heard a faint _"Welcome back…", _but this time, it meant something.

There was a loud **whoosh**, and the room returned to normal, the door behind him creaking open. Slowly, Gavin stood back up and quietly left the room. Upon leaving, he wasted no time in briskly walking to the opposite door, where Ib's screams were becoming more faint. Briefly, he glanced down at the key in his hand and placed it in the door, sparing only a momentary breath of relief when the lock clicked open before pushing the door open and finally confronting Ib and Garry.

Only, it wasn't Garry who was with Ib. Instead, in place of what Gavin could only assume was once Garry, or at least a copy of him, there stood a blank-faced, black mannequin with strings attached to its arms and legs. It was wearing Garry's cloak, and in one hand, held a rose stalk with only two petals left on it. Below the mannequin lay a near-unconscious Ib, with deep gashes all over her normally porcelain body. The only way that Gavin knew that she was still alive was her body's constant shaking from convulsions of prolonged pain and torture. But not this time; this time, Gavin was here, the REAL Gavin, and he was going to stop this monster!

The black-haired college student wasted no time in taking advantage of the mannequins pause in its onslaught of the rose in its hand. Gavin quickly ran over to the mannequin, and using the car keys in his pocked, cut the strings on the left arm, which held Ib's rose. The limb fell limply at the fake Garry's side and the rose dropped to the ground. Gavin quickly picked the rose up and gently placed it in his pocket before glaring at the inferior creature that dared to do this to Ib. "I hope you've had your fun, because I'm ending this once and for all!" He shouted before he cut the rest of the strings that kept "Garry" up and about. The mannequin fell to the floor like a large doll, it's blank face rolling away from the body, completely harmless.

Gavin stared at the body in disgust as he walked over to it and snatched the coat off of its body. He smiled humorlessly as he put his arms through the raggedy coat and admired the sleeves. He took a deep breath, feeling like he was in something familiar and safe. He felt protected in this coat, as he had many times before. _Protect…._ the word brought him back to the situation at hand as he whirled around and knelt down to gingerly pick up his fallen friend. He wouldn't let her die, not like this. _I have to find a vase with water, and fast…_he thought as he stood up and cradled the girl to his chest. Her breathing was shallow, but it was a good sign in any case. Looking at her face, he saw that her eyes were only half shut, and her eyes were full of unshed tears. Even in pain, she had refused to cry. How like her to always try and put up a brave front.

_Maybe you're not so different from the little girl I met all those years ago, eh, Ib?_ Gavin thought to himself as he walked out of the room and into the long hallway. They would find her sister and catch up later, but first thing was first, he had to heal her as fast as possible.

"_Hold on, Ib. I'm back for real, and this time, we're all gonna make it out…together!"_ he whispered to her as he walked down the long corridor, his strides strong and confident, and the tail of his coat swishing behind him as he carried them farther and farther from her place of nightmares.

**End of Chapter 10**

**AN: FINALLY! I was so afraid that I'd never have this thin uploaded! I am SOOO sorry that it took so long to upload, but unfortunately, I was kind of at a loss as to how to finish this particular chapter, this being the chapter where you really delve into Gavin's character. And yes, if it's not obvious to everyone by now, Gavin is Garry and all that jazz, but I still haven't told you how he came to be! Also, I apologize for the sloppiness of how I handled the battle between Gavin/Garry and the "Fake" Garry. I kind of wanted to move the story along and end the chapter as soon as possible so that the story could continue. Don't worry, Gavin's story will be explained in more detail in the next chapter, as will many other questions! I'm really thankful to everyone who's stuck with me on this story. I DO plan on finishing it…even if it takes a few more months. It helps that I have such amazing reviewers and readers! You guys keep me going! Until next time, keep a look out for my next update! ;) **


	11. BIG AUTHOR'S NOTE! PLEASE READ!

**Chapter 11: CONTEST TIME!**

**AN: Hey every one, it's Flippzy again! I know what you're gonna be sayin': ACK! NO! THIS NO UPDATE! Y U NO UPDATE?! I know, I know, I don't update as often as I used to, but hey, it's Summer, and I tend to have a lot of free time during the Summer, so why not? Anyway, the reason I decided to break from writing a chapter for a little bit, is because I have a little request for all my lovely reviewers, followers, and readers: I'm going to hold a contest! *pulls out streamers and does a Kermit the Frog "Yaaay!"***

**The contest is very straight-forward: I want to replace the iconic picture for my story so that it better portrays the story. I know it's already got a picture of Ib, but it really has nothing to do with the story at all. So, I'm calling out all you creative peoples out there for some assistance! **

**The rules are very simple:**

**-The picture has to portray the main idea of the story! I don't want just another picture of Ib and Garry. Give me an idea of what you see when you think of Gavin and Trina, and the new-er adventures they have with Ib. (P.S., if you add a Garry doll, however, that's extra brownie points ;D)**

**-All submissions must be turned in by Sunday, June 2****nd****, and should be turned in to either my deviantART: ~Girl-of-the-Rose, or my email address, which I will give if you send me a PM asking for it.**

**- You don't have to use Photoshop to make the picture, but if you have it, that's great. However, if you're going to make the picture by traditional methods, that's fine as well. (PSSST: I don't have Photoshop either, and that's how I turn in all my art online.)**

**-Try not to make the picture too big or too little. It's gotta be something that everyone can see, and something that you can be proud of! **

**-Send me a PM letting me know that you're interested in joining the contest!**

**Unfortunately, I'm also a poor college student, so I can't give you money for your efforts, but I can do the next best thing!**

**The winner of the contest will have a special drawing made for them, AND will make a cameo appearance in my epilogue. (I have a very special idea for the epilogue, and I would love to have one of my readers be in it! :D**

**I hope everyone gives it a shot and has fun with this! I know that I could probably make my own art for it, but I really wanted to incorporate my readers into my story in some way. You guys have always been so great about reviewing and keeping me going, even if I don't update as often as I used to! So give this a shot and good luck!**

**Trina: P.S. MAKE ME LOOK PRETTY!**

**Me: Err….Trina…I'm sure these guys would to a fine job of making you look great.**

**Trina: I WANNA BE A PRETTY PINK PRINCESS!**

**Me: But what does THAT have to do with the stor—**

**Trina: PRINCESS!**

**Me: *goes and crawls into a corner* Uh…well, you heard the lady…make her…pretty *whispers* You don't have to make her look like a pretty pink princess, however. She's just being Trina…**

**Anyway, good luck to all, and I hope to hear from you soon!**


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